Alter ego: the impact of criminal identity on situational identities within the narratives of an organized crime member

ABSTRACT

This study underscores the necessity of exploring criminal identities beyond mere associations with crime and deviance. Through a detailed investigation of the case of Antonio, a member of Italian organized crime who also pursues a career as a tattoo artist abroad, it reveals the complex interactions between his criminal identity and his situational identities as a migrant and artist. Antonio's distinctive situation leads to diverse social and self-representations, as his criminal identity intertwines with his migrant and artistic identities, resulting in significant social actions that address real-world issues. Using narratives from a series of semi-structured interviews, this research offers insights into how criminal identity affects and molds Antonio's various identities, illuminating the complex mechanisms of identity interaction. It identifies crucial social actions – namely ‘belonging,’ ‘internalization,’ ‘creativity,’ and ‘rebellion’ – enhancing our comprehension of identity dynamics and highlighting the critical influence of criminal identity within these processes.

Keywords:

• Artistic identity
• criminal identity
• identity interaction
• migrant Identity
• narrative criminology

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical standards

The author declares that informed consent was obtained from the participant before he was included in the study, and no real identifying information about the subject is included in the article.

Notes

1 For further research on the character of Antonio, refer also to Poppi (2023).